Are you thinking about going to the Blakesburg Fly-In in August? Air Mail Days is going to be a good one. This would be a great year to come for the first time if you've never attended.

We're going to have online pre-registration for attendees soon, and the next issue of Antique Airfield Runway will contains the usual registration and fly-in details. In the meantime, here's a First Timer's Guide to Attending the Blakesburg Fly-in. If you're thinking of going and you don't want to camp I suggest making hotel reservations in Ottumwa soon, they're going to start filling up.

Gene Horsman sent us this update on his Mercury BT-120 restoration (yep, I had to look it up in Juptner, it is Volume 8 - Editor).

The Mercury is not ready to fly but is progressing. Thought I would send you a few pictures of the fuselage. These are with the engine in place.

These were taken a year ago at the Erie Town Fair. We hurried and got the engine hung. Of course it is only temporary. Dan Murray is waiting to finish a new exhaust system for it and Bob Leyner is developing a new cowl.

My friend Dave Biesemeier has done all but the tail wheel anchorage and the landing gear welding on the fuselage. (I don't weld)

The landing gear was built by Marvin Wahl (since gone west) and the tail wheel setup was done by Brad Davenport. (Also has gone west) We are in the million last minute things on the welding at the moment. Clips to hold the fuselage stringers, the belly panel, shoulder harness anchorage, etc.

Then comes the dismantling of everything to blast and prime the fuselage. The two upper wings are ready to cover, tail feathers all done and I am struggling with the lower wings at the moment. Ten foot long full span ailerons with 12 ribs in each and aileron gap seals. Will it ever end? Maybe!!

It seems that every day brings more bad news about the state of our economy, especially about gas and food prices continually on the rise.

Photo by Gilles Auilard

Around local aerodromes pilots still gather, but have been curtailing their flying while grumbling about how they cannot afford to get out and go flying just for the fun of it, too expensive they say.

The crew of the 2008 ABT - Photo by Gilles Auilard

At the same time everyone seems to be wrapped up in the news of our upcoming landmark presidential election and the latest natural disaster, whether floods in the Midwest, fires on the West coast, or drought on the East coast. 2008 you say? Well yes, but it could just as well describe the early 1930's.

So it seems appropriate that Clay Adams and his American Barnstormers Tour is making it's way throughout Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri in 16-18 (depending on reports) gas guzzling, round engine antique airplanes from the 20's and 30's.

Tour organizer Clay Adams about to give another load of passengers a taste of open cockpit flying - Photo by Fred Larson

This years tour started on June 15th, though the first stop, Iowa City, had to be cancelled due to the floods here in Iowa. However the intrepid group moved operations to the next stop, Ames, Iowa, where they set up shop for four days of operations instead of two.

Hank Galpin and Ray Sanders came all the way from Kalispell, MT to fly in the ABT

Of the aircraft and pilots participating in the tour most are AAA members and include among others:

Clay Adams

Travel Air 4000

David Mars

Travel Air 4000

Gary Lust

Travel Air 4000

Stu MacPherson

Travel Air 4000

Bruce McElhoe

Travel Air 4D

Hank Galpin

Travel Air 6000

Rich Hornbeck

Waco ASO

Dave Allen

Waco ASO

Alan Lopez

Stearman 4E

Tom Lowe

Stearman C3R

Ron Rex

Stearman 4D

Carl Williams

Alexander Eaglerock

Ted Davis

New Standard D-25

Jim Hammond

Stinson Jr. S

John Thomason

Waco YKS-7

We find it very encouraging that this intrepid group has defied the pessimists in the sport aviation community and appear to be having a grand time traversing the country flying their antique airplanes.

Just as in the 1920's & 30's it was down to the wire for Ted Davis (Brodhead, WI) and crew to complete the restoration of their New Standard D-25 in time to participate in the American Barnstormers Tour. Here is what Ted had to say about the first flight on June 10th.

Photo by Ted Davis

I flew the D-25 last night about 7:00 P.M. off my strip and landed at Brodhead. What a great airplane and a beautiful night for a test flight. Everything worked fine and the D-25 is rigged perfect. Hands off and very stable. The tailwheel lock was the only thing that we had a problem with after hopping 18 passengers that were watching at the airport. Chris then flew it and was thrilled also with its performance and flight characteristics. Take care and there will be a video on YouTube later of the first takeoff from my strip. Now we have to get things together for the American Barnstormers Tour... Thanks for all of your help and providing me with a few parts at very reasonable costs.

Photo by Gilles Auilard

The New Standard has been reported to be very popular on the ABT with Ted being kept busy hauling up to four passengers at a time. We look forward to the possibility of seeing the New Standard on the grass here at Antique Airfield for the annual AAA/APM Fly-in (Aug 27th - Sep 1st).

At long last the FAA has finally released a draft of AC 23-27 "Parts & Materials for Vintage Airplanes" for review. This AC was originally drafted early in 2004 (as I recall) by the FAA Ad Hoc Comittee on Aging Aircraft of which the AAA is a member.

Terry Brandt and the crew at the Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum in Hood River, Oregon have been working on a Jenny. Terry called up early one Saturday morning a few weeks ago and said "I'm flying it". Here's the result: